Owen Wilson, one member of a ragtag team of blue-collar caricatures cobbled together by NASA to be launched into space so they could trigger a thermonuclear reaction on an asteroid hurtling toward Earth, asked a NASA scientist played by Billy Bob Thornton what to expect on the Texas-sized space rock.

Some have billed the meeting as a rematch of the 2005 BCS National Championship, though few will accept that framing. Times have changed.

USC has won 68 percent of its games (64-30) this decade. UT is just four games above .500 with four losing campaigns.

USC has made five straight bowl trips, including last year’s Rose Bowl win over Penn State. UT hasn’t been to a bowl since 2014 and hasn’t won one since 2012.

Herman is in the midst of trying to build UT back into what it was over a decade ago when Vince Young and Michael Huff and Aaron Ross were still roaming the field in burnt orange. USC, may never return to what it was under Peter Carroll, but it’s inching closer to reoccupying a spot among the nation’s elite programs.

Last weekend, the Trojans did to then-No. 14 Stanford what Wilson and Co. did to the inanimate antagonist of the film — they blew it the hell up.

Darnold threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns. USC ran for 307 yards. It outgained the Cardinal by 281 in the 42-24 win.

Herman’s first victory, dominant as it was, did not register on the same level as USC’s.

Following a baffling 51-41 season-opening loss to Maryland, UT unleashed its pent-up anger on the outgunned San Jose State Spartans. Herman saw a team that finally “cut it loose” en route to a 56-0 victory, the first home shutout at Royal-Memorial Stadium since 2012.

Despite his team’s box-score dominance, Herman witnessed mistakes and misses that a 17-point favorite like USC would have exploited.

“Playing a team like USC, or really anybody left on our schedule, you’re not going to be able to mask some of those fundamental and technique errors with just effort and talent like we were on Saturday,” Herman said. “The guys see that. They’re hungry. They want to keep getting better. They like the feeling of improvement.

“But they also know we’ve got to go into a hostile environment to play one of the best teams in the country that’s playing really, really well right now. We’re going to need to play, not just really hard and not just with the talent that we have, but we’re going to have to play very fundamentally sound play after play after play to stay competitive in this ball game.”

A competitive final score might be all the Longhorns can hope for right now.

Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele’s availability remains a mystery. Herman said his injured throwing shoulder is “getting better every day,” but Tuesday’s practice will be a “big benchmark” for his status.

If Buechele remains out, true freshman Sam Ehlinger would again receive the start with Jerrod Heard potentially receiving more reps as a wildcat quarterback.

Against SJSU, Ehlinger shook off a slow start to finish with 222 passing yards and one touchdown in addition to 48 rushing yards on seven attempts. Heard ran the ball eight times for 49 yards and two first-half scores.

“Now when Shane is fully healthy that’ll allow (Heard) to go back and devote most of his practice time and meeting time to playing wide receiver,” Herman said. “But knowing that we can jog him back there and take some snaps and add a change of pace for the defense, I think is a weapon.

“The good thing about him, which is different than most wildcat quarterbacks, is he can throw the football. If you want to put a bunch of human beings in the box to stop the run, he’s capable of throwing it over your head.”

Herman, who exited Houston with a perfect 6-0 record against ranked opponents, might need to unleash all his tricks to keep UT from collapsing on the road, a realm it struggled in under Charlie Strong (5-9 since 2014).

“I think the challenge is sticking to your routine,” Herman said. “Every great player, one of the things that is commonplace — whether it’s Michael Jordan or Peyton Manning, and Jerome Bettis has spoken to our staff and team — every great player has a routine. They do the same thing every day. If you can make just getting on a plane the only deviation in that routine then you’ve succeeded.”

In “Armageddon,” Earth’s selected saviors boarded two space shuttles and pushed away from the planet on a mission they knew was nearly impossible. UT’s stakes aren’t quite as high, but the odds are overwhelming.

Does Herman think the Longhorns will be ready when they land on the Trojans’ asteroid?